Michael edwakd wilboi



M. E. WILSON.

,DIREGTION INDICATOR FOR AUTQMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15, I917.

' 1,311,257. Patenmiul 29, 1919.

2 SHEETS*SHEET 2.

. is 12 pers 1 errm to om one sii isirucl'ion comprises :2

' Eli adapted to be projected the 5 tion which th of the ing hereor lil e proximately U- 0 base is she S" u val section. islng is o is also opposm and the SH'QW 353 o i \ise ant to ill is made oi 7 \villCIl my (-0 )ted to fit t ted to tin. l

ht angles wh ch l on 1 .L 1121 term a so hive from at 11;; l 71;?

ore he .operw turned 0! tinvention is i:

alt-

v.o th.

her to im ling" the form ed to lie bile and picuous when m: y h in jest of this an extremely a 1* L automo vehicle or t The general ob provide this character hzw' and which is adm) body of the entirely incons tive position but which ward to a dis to provid to be daily and p: ns diameter an play posit e a stigma The inner end ml its n he i f tl lzipteil shaped in vol-ti attached to the s le- Wall or door l this ho:

end

pen as at )1 the or from i 75 ,ll

s n (l to provide po- 4 "med m 1;: op-

f the Wall.

m :15 llCli fits Wall molt or tension t at its end 90 efor i a; poiti lyprojert- SUI arms 21 housll llH'm: llie 0,,

Ade

l 2) mid lower stm one

pin 101' e pass One w;

extending in )i the housing! 1 a the line si lient iper #:tension housnw is i pos-ite o extend downward to he lie"- Wall cause the right angles i :l' lly and rear or front 0' )rorid 'fiiCl) m:

revive n hen it i h and 3 t lit} mopem ear in tl ption.

and

(1 from u vertieri position at ll 1 be usea cause the al 0 vertica 5 to provide a (e is latehed W ted posi'io position to those in F automobil y the actuation tion Wlll is to needles or l r o ]eots will app dy t p of this well ter surface of th( (He in one diree ject s character i Ject 1 he ts outwardly PZOJCK escri 1 also is adapted to (utter w in its retm' a sp perar ism d to move upwar izontal ode exten A further ob tion of th 40 applied to all makes 0 thout o A further Oh this (:lml" i ted position by Other 0 the follow automobile bo the to the on mechanism Whereh hand hor

wall and W so that the sheet met is In which is assis when the signal is in its inoperative position extends upward and the signal 25 extends downward and lies fiat a ainst the outer face of the wall or door. he outer face of the signal is painted the same color and shade as the body ofthe automobile, so

I that when this signal lies fiat down against the outer face of the wall it is not conspicuous or particularly observable. The inner face however may be painted white, red or any other desired conspicuous color.

Now when it is desired to indicate that the automobile is about to turn to the right or to the left, as the case may be, the handle 29 is drawn downward to a horizontal posi tion, and the pressure exerted upon the handle causes the depressed portion 30 on the bod. 20 to move out of the depressions 19 of tie housing, springing the housing slightly in doing so. As the handle is further rotated, the signal 25 swings upward until the lug 27 engages with the angular edge 16 of "the cut-away portion on one wall of the housing. When this lug strikes this angular portion which constitutes a cam the spindle will be rotated against the force of the spring 28 so as to turn the hand or signal around his axis of the spindle 22 and bring it to display position. When the signal has been brought to a full display position, that is into a vertical planetransverse to the direction of motion of the vehicle,'the grooves 30 have engaged with the epressions 19 and the signal will thus be locked in its display position. The signal will remain in this position as long as desired. When it is desired to retract the signal the handle is pushed in the reverse direction and as soon as the lug 27 has es-.

caped the edge 16 the spring. 28 causes the spindle to rotate to return the signal and then as the handle is moved still farther over, the signal is returned to a position where it lies flat against the outer face of the side wall oi? the vehicle in the manner indicated in Fig. 1.-

i It will be seen that the device above described is entirely positive in its action and that it is extremely simple both in operation and in construction. While I have illustrated a base formed with clamps which may be attached to the-wall ordoor of anautomobile or any other suitable position it will, of course, be understood that'the bases can be made for permanent attachment to the car-and thus the signal made as part or" or initially with the car body. It is further pointed out that thehousing 14; constitutes not only a housing but that it forms a spring lock for holding thesignal in its projected or contracted position and that it is the edge 16 of this housir which in conjunction with the lug 27 forms the means whereby the hand is automatically turned to its display position. When it is in its retracted position, the mechanism offers but very slight wind resistance and it will be obvious that when it is beingv shifted to its display position it ofiers but a minimum wind resistance until it is fully turned. The device may be made for either the right hand or left hand" side of the vehicle, and either one hand may be used'to indicam the fact that the vehicle is about to turn without indicating the particular direction, or two signals may be used, one on each side of the machine.

It is to be noted that the lug 27 has a square .rear. corner 27, as illustrated most clearly in Fig. 4: which will abut against the side wall ofthe casing 14 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 4 when the parts are retracted to the position shown in Fig. 3. This prevents the signal'from turning cozn pletely around when it is retracted, that is when it is returned to its inoperative position it will be parallel. to the wall of the vehicle; It will be u derstood that the pivot 17 is to be part 0 the casting or forging 20 and forms practically trunnions extending from this member 20. Further, the parts 22, 23 and 24 are preferably made in one piece or forging with the lug 27. However, these details may be varied when nee: essar or advisable.

It is to be understood, of course; that this :5. device is adapted for use on other vehicles besides automobiles, and further 1 donot wish to limit myself to the use of a hand- 1.

operated signal, as it is obvious that the handle 29 or an equivalent part may be connected either to a. lever on the steering post of a machine or to an operating pedal. While 'I have illustrated a construction which I have found to be thoroughly effective .in actual use, which is strong, simple and cheap to manufacture, yet it is obvious that many changes might be rnadein the details of construction and arrangement oi parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I elaim:'

1. An automobile signal including a housing having means whereby it may be atice sitely disposed depressions, a body mounted a U-shaped body mounted between between said side Walls and having crossed ribs adapted to engage in'saiddepressions, the body being pivoted to the housing on an axis extending through the intersection of said crossed ribs, and having means Whereby it may be rotated within the housing, a rotatable spindle mounted in the body and extending at right angles to the axis of the body, a semaphore attached to said spindle and rotating therewith, means causing a ro tation of the spindle as the body is turned to swing the semaphore away from the wall of the vehicle, and a spring resisting said rotation of the spindle and urging the spindle in a reverse direction to thereby re turn the semaphore to a position parallel to the Wall of the vehicle.

2. A dii'ectionindicator for automobiles comprising a housing having resilient lat ally spaced Walls and having means wher itmay be attached to the Wall oi a veins a. U-shaped body mounted between the walls of the housing and having a pivot pin passing through said Walls the confronting faces of the Walls of the housing and the body being formed with coacting depressions and ribs to hold the body in its rotated positions,

a spindle mounted in the arms of the body and extending at right angles to the 1 thereof, a semaphore attached to said spindle, and means causing a rotatio the spindle in one direction as the hon is turned to swing the semaphore from the 7' .ll of the ear and causing a rotatwn oi the spindle in the opposite direction as the body is turned to swing the semaphore toward the body of the earl 3. A direction indicator "for autoinob comprising a housing having resilient i ally spaced Walls and having means it may be'attached to the Wall of of the housing and having a pivot ing through said Walls, the controntiz ,1 'Q ices oi the Walls of the housing and the in being formed with enacting deprcssir nZM ribs to hold the body in its rotated no a spindle mounted in the arms oi and extending at right to the s thereof, a semaphore attached to said sp i dle, means for causing a rot: spindle in one direction as the t to swing the semaphore away i of the car and cause the SET-J. rotated to a vertical plane, and n s resistingsaid rotation of the spin 1 semaphore and causing the roves I of the spindle and semaphore to ti semaphore fiat against tne side of i when the body is swung to c phore toward the car.

4. A direction indicator for automobiles comprising a housing having resilien upgm: and lower Walls and having means when 1y a ly mounted between the upper ind lower walls of the housing and having a pivot pin through said Walls, the upper and lower the housing and we lls oi the. body being 143' .i pressions and he ilOiCL rotated nositions, a up arms or the bod angles to the tached to said sp'ndle ano. n. ing being F jection dis es said his; to in one direc JKY semacan and a n aged movement a re rind Yon, and nice icaround long}? 1K e sen the body of to a display and oats a reve ie direction to the hotly of the ca 'n in e:

ll including a chinent normal .1

3 signal at it unotation oi the .:-;l1:ip8l laterally proing a projection with which said lug engages In testimony whereof I herem'zto affir; nw as the U-shaped. memlger is rotated to lift signature in the presence of two Witnes the signal whereby =the spindle and signal MICHAEL EDWARD are rotated through a quarter of arevolution Witnesses: when the spindle and signal are disposed in M. E. MCDONALD,

a horizontal plane. ARTHUR M. FISHER. 

